Comparison

Launch Fees 2026 Guide: A Complete Cost Comparison for Crypto Creators

Launching a token involves more than just the initial fee. This guide breaks down the complete cost structure for 2026, comparing upfront fees, ongoing creator revenue, and hidden expenses across major Solana launchpads. We analyze how platforms like Spawned, pump.fun, and others structure their pricing for long-term sustainability.

TL;DR

•Spawned charges 0.1 SOL (~$20) upfront, includes a free AI website builder, and offers 0.30% creator revenue per trade.
•pump.fun has $0 upfront cost but takes 100% of trading fees, offering creators no ongoing income.
•True cost includes post-graduation fees, website hosting, and the loss of potential lifetime creator revenue.

Quick Comparison

Spawned charges 0.1 SOL (~$20) upfront, includes a free AI website builder, and offers 0.30% creator revenue per trade.

pump.fun has $0 upfront cost but takes 100% of trading fees, offering creators no ongoing income.

True cost includes post-graduation fees, website hosting, and the loss of potential lifetime creator revenue.

The 2026 Verdict on Launch Fees

Which launchpad fee structure actually puts more money in your pocket?

For serious crypto creators building long-term projects, Spawned offers the most financially sound model in 2026. While a 0.1 SOL (~$20) launch fee exists, it funds a sustainable platform that shares success with you. You keep 0.30% of every trade forever and get a professional AI website included. Platforms with $0 launch fees often monetize by taking 100% of the trading revenue you generate, costing you far more over the lifetime of your token. Your launch fee is an investment in a partner, not just a cost.

2026 Launch Fee & Revenue Breakdown

Here is a direct comparison of costs and revenue share for creators across major platforms. This table shows why the 'free' launch can be the most expensive option.

Platform	Upfront Launch Fee	Creator Revenue Per Trade	Includes Website Builder	Post-Graduation Fee Model
Spawned	0.1 SOL (~$20)	0.30%	Yes (AI, valued at $29-99/mo)	1% via Token-2022 program
pump.fun	$0	0%	No	N/A (platform keeps all fees)
Typical Competitor	1-2 SOL	0% - 0.10%	Often extra cost	Varies, often 1-2%

Key Insight: Spawned's model treats creators as partners. The small upfront fee ensures platform quality and funds development, while the 0.30% revenue share means you earn alongside your community from day one.

pump.fun's 'Free' Cost: You pay $0 to launch, but the platform keeps 100% of the trading fees generated by your token. For a token with $1M in volume, that's $10,000 in fees you never see.

Spawned's Partner Model: You pay $20 to launch. On that same $1M volume, you earn $3,000 (0.30%) in ongoing creator revenue. Your net position is +$2,980.

The Website Factor: Adding a professional site on another platform costs $29-99 monthly. Spawned includes it, saving you $348-$1,188 in the first year alone.

3 Hidden Costs in 'Low-Fee' Launchpads (2026)

Beyond the advertised price, these are the real expenses that can erode your project's value.

Lost Lifetime Revenue: The biggest hidden cost. A platform taking 100% of trading fees (like pump.fun) removes a permanent income stream. Over 5 years, even modest volume can mean tens of thousands in lost creator earnings.
Post-Launch Tool Expenses: Many launchpads are just minting tools. You then need to pay separately for a website, analytics dashboard, and marketing pages. These SaaS fees add up quickly, often exceeding $100/month.
Graduation & Migration Fees: Some platforms charge high fees to 'graduate' your token to its own liquidity pool or to a DEX. These can be surprise costs of 1-2 SOL or more, due after your launch.

Why Spawned's 0.1 SOL Fee is a Strategic Investment

View the 0.1 SOL not as a fee, but as capital allocated to your project's infrastructure. This investment unlocks three direct, monetizable assets:

A Revenue-Generating Token: Your token is configured from day one to pay you 0.30% of every trade. This turns your community's activity into a sustainable income for development and marketing.
A Professional Web Presence: The integrated AI website builder creates a branded hub for your project. This is essential for credibility, community building, and onboarding non-dex users. Building a site separately is a recurring expense and logistical hurdle.
Access to Holder Rewards: Spawned's unique Token-2022 integration allows you to easily set up staking or reward systems, distributing 0.30% of trades to loyal holders. This builds stronger community alignment than a fee-extractive model.

This model aligns platform success with creator success, unlike ad-based or fee-hoarding alternatives.

How to Choose a Launchpad: A 4-Step Framework for 2026

Follow this process to move beyond headline fees and evaluate the total value.

Ready to Launch with a Partner, Not Just a Platform?

Stop leaving money on the table with launchpads that see you as a product. Launch on Spawned and start building a real, revenue-generating project from day one.

Your 0.1 SOL fee secures:

A token that pays you 0.30% creator revenue.
A free, professional AI-powered website.
A platform invested in your long-term success.

Launch Your Token on Spawned and begin building your asset, not just spending on costs.

For more on how Spawned compares to other creator tools, see our alternative to Airtable for crypto projects or our comparison to no-code builders like Adalo.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The 0.1 SOL fee funds a sustainable, high-quality platform that shares revenue with creators. 'Free' platforms typically monetize by taking 100% of the trading fees generated by your token, which costs you far more in lost lifetime earnings. Spawned's fee is an investment in a partnership model where your success funds the platform, not the other way around.

Yes. The 0.30% creator revenue from every trade is programmed into your token's functionality on Spawned and continues in perpetuity. After your token graduates to its own liquidity pool, this revenue stream continues via the Solana Token-2022 program, ensuring you earn from your project's activity indefinitely.

The AI website builder is included at no extra cost with your launch. It generates a complete, customizable website for your project, which would typically cost $29 to $99 per month as a standalone SaaS tool. This includes hosting, a domain connection, and design templates, saving you hundreds of dollars annually and providing a crucial hub for your community.

When your token is ready to graduate from the launchpad liquidity pool to its own independent pool, Spawned uses the Token-2022 standard to implement a 1% fee on transactions. This perpetual 1% fee is then split: 0.30% continues as creator revenue to you, 0.30% is distributed to token holders as rewards, and 0.40% supports the ecosystem. This creates a sustainable model post-launch.

Technically, yes, on platforms like pump.fun. However, the true cost is 100% of your potential creator revenue. For a project with any meaningful volume, this 'free' launch will cost you thousands in lost income. Additionally, you will need to pay for external tools like a website and analytics, making the total out-of-pocket cost often higher than Spawned's transparent 0.1 SOL fee.

Spawned and Alchemy serve different purposes. [Alchemy](/compare/launchpad/spawned-alternative-to-alchemy) is an infrastructure provider for developers building complex dApps. Spawned is an end-to-end launchpad and website builder for creators to launch and manage a token project without deep coding. Spawned handles the token launch, website, and revenue mechanics so you can focus on community and project vision.

No. The costs are transparent: a 0.1 SOL launch fee, a 0.30% creator revenue share you *earn* (not pay), and the post-graduation 1% fee structure that is publicly defined. There are no monthly hosting fees for the website, no surprise graduation charges, and no percentage taken from your initial token supply.

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